BT is a leading global communications company with over 100,000 employees operating in 170 countries. It has annual turnover of about £20.2 billion and principal lines of business include retail, wholesale, global services, and network operations. BT sees learning and developing its people as essential to its strategy of growing in new areas while defending traditional markets. It has a structured approach to identifying and developing talent through talent pools and leadership development programs aligned to its values of trustworthy, helpful, inspiring, and straightforward.

1. Alex Wilson Group HR Director BT as a learning organisation

5. Delivering world class skills in BT - the ‘skills escalator’ Current apprenticeship programmes are limited to ‘advanced’ and ‘higher’, delivering Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications respectively. Potential to develop this model to other areas of learning e.g. finance, and other parts of BT. Progression from foundation degree to honours degree is not subject to additional funding. Higher apprentices may provide a compelling alternative to graduates. Potential (currently untapped) funded learning programmes.

6. Talent feed Graduates MBAs Direct hires Internal promotions Apprentices

8. BT’s talent pool structure Potential Leadership Team Successors (PLTS) Regarded as having the capability to undertake a LoB or functional leadership team role within five years. Emerging Talent (ET) Our ones to watch. Individuals showing exceptional potential who may reach very senior positions given cross-functional exposure, support and coaching. Rapid Higher Potential (RHP) Individuals showing such outstanding capabilities and potential that we confidently expect them to be performing an executive level role (if not already doing so) and to be ready for PLTS within 2 years.

12. Pan-BT global leadership pathway In-role - consistent set of programmes for all leaders to build a common language Transition - development to support leaders at key moments of career change Professional paths - will develop leaders on different paths, ‘thought leadership’, ‘technical leadership’, as well as ‘business leadership’

13. Questions? Ideas? Challenge? Validation?